The next Bible journaling session at The Studio (10th February 2020) features as its theme ‘illuminated letters’. I’ve long loved the mediaeval manuscripts with the fancy drop caps and the shiny gold gilding. Could this be done in modern-day Bibles? Yup! Here are four examples and bonus conventional illustration:
The illuminated letters have a real shine to them, hard to pick up in a direct photo – here are a couple of alternative angles to show the gilding…
There are so many different styles of gilding flakes out on the market. The gold is the more traditional leaf, whereas the multicolour version uses Cosmic Shimmer gilding flakes to get the different patination. I found it more user-friendly to use a 2-in-1 glue pen (the one that sticks when blue and is tacky when dry and clear) to ‘colour in’ the gilded areas. It keeps enough stick to take the gilding and was easier to apply than painting on flake/glitter glue instead.
Used in these layouts
- Sakura Pigma Micron Black Pigment pens
- Tombow Calligraphy Pen (hard tip)
- Stix2 2-in-1 rollerball glue pen
- Speedball Mona Lisa Metal Leaf: Gold
- Cosmic Shimmer Gilding Flakes: Summer Meadow
- Cosmic Shimmer Flake & Glitter Glue
Free download
To download a free PDF with the outlines ready for printing and tracing, click on the button:
